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Don’t Miss this inspiring slide show about a physical and cultural bicycle journey across Central Asia. Listen to Sage Cohen from the Boston University School of Public Health tell her tale of cycling across some of the most rugged and beautiful terrain on earth. Be inspired, and awed by this amazing bicycle journey through Kyrgyztan, Tajikistan, Pakistan, Xinjiang, Tibet and Nepal.

Arrive at 6:30 to enjoy light refreshments with new and familiar friends – presentation at 7pm.

This event is a benefit fundraiser for MassBike, all donations will go to support MassBike. Sliding scale admission ($5 minimum, $10 suggested $40 or more gets you a free MassBike membership).

Thursday March 18th, 6:30-9pm at the BU George Sherman Union. 775 Comm. Ave (2nd floor conference auditorium)

Press release below

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The Massachusetts Department of Transportation’s Highway Division Invites You to a Public Information Meeting for the River Street Bridge/Western Avenue Bridge Rehabilitation Project

Wednesday, February 3, 2010
6:00 PM – 8:00 PM
Honan-Allston Branch Library
300 North Harvard Street, Allston, MA

The purpose of this meeting is to provide an overview of the proposed rehabilitation of the historic River Street and Western Avenue Bridges, introduce MassDOT’s design team, answer questions and gather comments.

The River Street Bridge/Western Avenue Bridge Rehabilitation Project is being undertaken by MassDOT as part of the Commonwealth’s Accelerated Bridge Program. The goals of the project are to improve structural integrity and enhance accessibility. The main objectives are to repair deteriorating elements of the bridges, upgrade structural capacity and improve local street connections and accessibility. The proposed rehabilitation will respect the documented historic status of these landmark structures and preserve as many of the original elements as possible. The River Street Bridge was constructed in 1926 and the Western Avenue Bridge was constructed in 1924. Both bridges are listed on the State and National Registers of Historic Places and serve as primary connections between Cambridge and Boston.

If you have questions or would like more information about the project, please contact Robert Antico, MassDOT Highway Division Project Manager, Robert.Antico@state.ma.us.

To be added to the project email or US Mail distribution lists, please contact Stephanie Boundy, Public Outreach Coordinator for MassDOT’s Accelerated Bridge Program, at 617-973-8049 or Stephanie.Boundy@state.ma.us.

The library is accessible. To request language or access accommodations, please contact Stephanie Boundy at the above email address or phone number at least 10 days in advance. In case of inclement weather, meeting cancellation announcements will be posted on http://www.massdot.state.ma.us/Highway/.

Please share this notice with others who may be interested in the project.

If you have retreated inside, hugging to your rollers waiting for that first nice spring day, here is a little inspiration.

Beware the car effect!

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Saturday, Jan. 30, 2010
12:00 Noon
Dudley Branch Library

“Stop the Highway” – the campaign that successfully halted the proposed ‘Inner Belt’ of Interstate Highway 95 that would have cut through towns from Concord to Boston and would have destroyed hundreds of homes and businesses in Roxbury. Many were displaced before a coalition of organized communities brought the plan to a halt.

Today’s Orange Line, Melnea Cass Blvd, Malcolm X Blvd, and many other changes are in place as a result of the organizing and leadership activities of Roxbury citizens and the Black United Front.

This is Roxbury’s recent history – that some never knew or heard of. Hear — and contribute to — this first of a 3-part series in the documentation of Roxbury’s role in shaping national policy on transportation and community planning.

Part One January 30 with Chuck Turner

Part Two February 27 with Leonard Durant

Part Three April 3 with Leonard Durant

Here is a photo of what was the plan for the intersection of Ruggles and
Tremont: http://www.flickr.com/photos/ferriswheelsbikeshop/4313240361/

Scary!

Chic Cyclists even caught them putting up the sign!

Yesterday I had one of the strangest encounters with a motorist I have ever had the displeasure of living though. Lets set the scene.

State street, 5pm, heavy rush hour traffic, bumper to bumper. I am riding at a very cautious pace down the right hand side of the street, on my right is a large concrete wall, on my left an unmoving mass of traffic. This is a daily ride for me, so my head is on a swivel, scanning for darting pedestrians, cab doors opening, homeless guys wandering about in the street, pot holes, construction, etc. State street can be safely classified as a grade A shit show every day at 5pm. I have learned that everything can happen so I watch out for anything.

Which is why I was only slightly surprised when a black car full of men pulled directly in front of me (to the right mind you) gunned it for ten feet (narrowly missing taking their own mirror off on the jersey barrier), only to slam back over to the left. They nearly ran me down, almost damaged their own car, and nearly ran into the car in front of them all for a one car advantage in the great car battle that they must have imagined they were participating in. What really caught me off guard was when they waited till I was right next to them to open the back right passenger door and eject one of the passengers.

I was going very slow so when the edge of the door came to a rest against my handle bars (right between my pointer and middle finger thankfully) my back wheel barely left the ground. I was immediately confused as this car was stuck on all sides in traffic and there was a large concrete wall on the right, what the fuck? The passenger immediately began screaming “what the fuck are you doing” to which I thought briefly and responded in a logical and cool manner “WHAT THE FUCK ARE YOU DOING ASSHOLE!” This was to be a clue as to the future interactions I was to have with these road scholars.

After explaining unambiguously (using small words, this guy was clearly some kind if space cadet) that this asshole can go eat a dick (he opened his door in the middle of traffic on the wrong side, without looking). He clearly was not mentally prepared for the debate, and wandered out into three lanes of traffic to find adventure else where. The entire time I was educating him as to the error his ways his three Southy accented friends were busy shouting poorly formed obscenities at me from the vehicle.

As the car wasn’t going anywhere I had more than enough time to take a picture of the cars license plates with my cell phone. You know just in case. This seemed to rustle the feathers of the driver, who must have rubbed his remaining brain cells together and realized that he was now identifiable (52k E81 in case you are curious). He exited his car and allowed me the pleasure of getting a good look at him (by putting his ugly pock marked stump of a face right up into mine) and through a haze of spittle he uttered “I am going to fucking KILL YOU!” The rational part of my brain should have registered that there was now three thick necked troglodytes threatening to end my life (and informed my legs that now would be a good time to run away). Instead the irrational part of my brain took over and frankly I lost my shit.

“You are going to kill me?! You just tried to kill me TWICE, I doubt you got the sack for this kind of work bitch, now get back in your fucking car before this shit gets nasty!” Have you ever seen a skinny person lose their shit, it is at once comical, and terrifying. The complete lack of concern for ones own safety can foster a deep disquiet in even the hardiest opponent, and my shit was most certainly lost at this point. You try to run me over, then you try to door me, then you spit in my face and tell me you are going to kill me? Your car was the threat, you are just a pathetic little man with an over inflated sense of importance.

He immediately returned to his car, his passenger then asked if my bicycle was OK, (to which I responded by holding up my middle finger and saying “you almost broke my finger asshole.” This entire encounter took less than 5 minutes, and at no point did traffic move an inch, I remounted my bike, rode off and the passenger was nice enough to roll down his window so I could inform him that he and his compatriots were worthless pieces of shit, and I had a very excellent ride home in the nice weather last night.

In retrospect this entire encounter was a failure. No one learned anything (other than the driver of the black car with plates 52K E81 is a worthless waste of air). I could have been seriously hurt, by bad driving, poor door opening, or militant thuggery. I completely lost my cool and was most likely biting off way more than I could have swallowed (there were still three dudes in the car, a near certain recipe for an ass whoopin). And yet I don’t feel that bad about it, I stood my ground, defended myself, no one actually got hurt, and I get to warn the world about the driver of car 52K E81.

Consider this a public service announcement.

Pure win. Seriously this looks like a blast.

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66 South Street, Jamaica
Plain, MA 02130. 617-524-BIKE (2453).

Thursday Nights, 7 pm
$30/class
Take one, take them all!
Buy 4, get 1 FREE.
10% discount on an accessory purchase for every class you buy.

JAN. 28: Brakes
FEB. 4: Gears
FEB. 11: Bearing Adjustments
FEB. 18: Wheels
FEB. 25: Headset & Bottom Bracket Overhauls
MAR. 4: Hub Bearing Overhauls

For more info or to register, call 617-524-BIKE (2453).

www.FerrisWheelsBikeShop.com